Icy roads cause rural Baldwin accidents

It was only a few inches of snow, but roads were slick enough from the snow and ice to cause a handful of accidents in the area one resulting in the brief closure of Douglas County Road 1055 Friday night.

A climbing stretch of 1055 a short distance north of town was the scene of a single-car accident. Douglas County Sheriff Cpl. Bill Shepard said it was reported at 5 p.m. that cars were sliding down what is referred to as "Baldwin hill." The slick conditions on the hill caused a car driven by Candace Jones, 19, Baldwin, to slide off the road as she was driving northbound shortly after 5 p.m. No injuries were reported. Shepard said Jones and a passenger, Tabitha Jones, 16, declined medical treatment at the scene of the accident.

Traffic was detoured off of 1055 onto surrounding roads, which also proved to be slick, until the accident scene was clear.

Slick roads also were to blame for an accident less than a mile away at the intersection of Douglas County Road 12 and county road 1750 south of the Signal Oaks subdivision at 6:45 p.m. Friday.

Amanda Morford, 16, Baldwin, was turning left from County Road 12 onto County Road 1750 en route to Baldwin High School when the pickup behind Morford slid past her car, sideswiping it, Shepard said. The pickup was driven by Thomas Anderson, 19, Brandon, S.D.